[600MRG] Measuring power

Mon Mar 23 17:33:46 CDT 2015

I actually didn't see Steve's comments until Ed posted his reply.. the joys of email lists....Still selectively getting list messages...
this is kind of a dead horse, but here goes:

its not that I don't want 630-meters to be a ham band - I absolutely do!   But I stand by what I originally said - There is no one here as an individual or a whole that is going to affect that change and get the FCC to make a move until *they* are ready to act on the matter.
The matter of the experimental license vs. amateur license is noted and its obvious that we are very passionate about this matter - every one of us that are active operators probably have lamented the limitations we currently experience.  We are limited to comms with other Part 5 stations and thats unfortunate.  Having had numerous conversations with Steve, VE7SL, this seems to be the linchpin for getting widespread VE participation.  We can't operate cross band.  This, in my opinion, will be huge in getting US hams interested in actually communicating - not just beaconing...But again, we can desire these things until we are sick and it won't change on our time table.

>Steve makes a valid point on how numbers count for securing access 
for long time.
I can go a bunch of directions with this:  Of course numbers count.    But we have plenty of guys that went through the Part 5 process, paid their $65, and were issued grants that have never been on the air.  Some of that is the reality of a busy life and being spread too thin.  I get that - I'm busy too.   Others probably find themselves in over their heads.  Thats because frankly what we do is more ham radio than ham radio today and the requisite skills and characteristics at MF are not explicitly necessary to get on HF..Sad but true.  Now, it does not matter how many articles turn up in QST about how to get on the band or how many of us put up web pages with specific info on how to get on the air - you gotta want this if you are going to be successful.   We can be there to elmer and help guys through the process but at the end of the day, the operator has to desire to do it - you can lead a horse to water...  I do not see a lot of guys wanting anything to do with this niche - I wish that were not the case.  Here in the Dallas it seems so many people are just sitting on VHF FMand UHF FM - the new CB locally or worse, fooling with echolink.   But there will be some that are up to the challenge and they will probably be the cream of the crop.  A ham band will bring awards program intergration and that will help ultimately.  Hopefully Top banders and extreme ops will step up to the challenge as the misconceptions of the band (which are rampant right now) start to go away.  So I think there is hope but I absolutely expect the people who really want it won't wait.  The ones that could go either way or the "round-tuit" (sic) crowd wont ever get "round-tuit"...

and, I'm starting to sound like a broken record:

all that said - its still predicated on the FCC deciding to act and until they do, there is nothing that can be done by anyone.  If you want to play now, you can.  Its not an ideal situation, but for many of us we will take it for now...If you got lemons, make lemonade...

73!
John XIQ
     From: Edward R Cole <kl7uw at acsalaska.net>
 To: sbjohnston at aol.com; 600mrg at w7ekb.com 
 Sent: Monday, March 23, 2015 4:22 PM
 Subject: Re: [600MRG] Measuring power

I think it matters for all of us.  My comments were that we few that 
have experimental licenses can establish a "beachfront" for the main 
ham troops to land, eventually.  And if you are really interested do 
not let lack of ham allocation stop you from getting on 600m 
(properly licensed, of course).

Steve makes a valid point on how numbers count for securing access 
for long time.

73, Ed - KL7UW

At 10:52 AM 3/23/2015, sbjohnston at aol.com wrote:

>
>
>Some good points have been raised - thanks.  To address John's 
>question, "Does it matter that its not a ham band herenow...?"
>
>It does matter for me, for several reasons:  I see powerful 
>connections between 630 meters and the early days of ham radio.  I 
>see the experimenting that is underway now as an important part of 
>the 'amateur radio experience' and an aspect of the hobby that I 
>want to encourage wholeheartedly.  I do not want radio experimenting 
>by hams to require an experimental license - it should be a natural 
>and ordinary function of our activities, not requiring special 
>dispensation from the regulators.  And finally, I feel it is better 
>for everyone when ham bands are world-wide and not exclusive in 
>certain parts of the world - witness the challenges faced by the 70 
>and 222 MHz bands.
>
>
>
>Steve WD8DAS / WH2XHY
>
>sbjohnston at aol.com
>http://www.wd8das.net/
>--------------------------------------------------------------------
>Radio is your best entertainment value.
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>
>
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>
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73, Ed - KL7UW
http://www.kl7uw.com
    "Kits made by KL7UW"
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